SUMMARY The Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC) is responsible for strategic planning, organization, administrative operations, and evaluation of the Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) research and training program. A special effort is devoted to ensure the cohesion of the Center and maintain an interdisciplinary and translational research focus on the common research theme, which is ?mobility and prevention of disability.? The key LAC tasks are achieved by the Core Leader and three committees. The Executive Committee, which is composed of the OAIC core leaders, administers, governs, provides scientific guidance, and sets productivity benchmarks for the OAIC. The External Advisory Board, which is composed of experts external to the institution, reviews all OAIC activities and provides overall scientific guidance to the OAIC. The Independent Review Panel, which is composed of ad hoc experts (at least one third external to the institution), reviews proposed support for development projects, and pilot/exploratory studies. Taken together, the LAC provides support for planning, organizational, evaluation, and administrative activities relating to the other cores and to the OAIC as a whole. The LAC monitors, stimulates, sustains, evaluates, and reports progress toward the overall goals of the OAIC.